Hrubesch appointed Germany U21 boss

Germany Under-21 coach Rainer Adrion and the German Football Association (DFB) have agreed to part ways, with former boss Horst Hrubesch returning to the dugout in his stead.

The Germany Under-21 team failed to make it out of their group during the recent Under-21 European Championship in Israel and were criticised for their performances in a group containing Netherlands, Russia and eventual winners Spain.

After losing 1-0 to Spain early last week, DFB president Wolfgang Niersbach had said: "I've got Adrion's back. The decision has been made. He will continue."

The former defender, who previously worked as coach of Stuttgart's reserve team, had only recently extended his contract by a year but the DFB decided that a parting of ways would be best.

"It was never about quickly finding a pawn sacrifice after our exit at the European Championship," DFB general secretary Helmut Sandrock said. "It was about an objective analysis of the situation.

"That Rainer Adrion made it clear during that process that he would not stand in the way of an unladen rebuilding, speaks for him."

Hrubesch, 62, will now take over the Germany Under-21s, the experienced coach having been in the dugout during the team's title-winning European Championship run in 2009 and more recently coached the Germany Under-18s.
Hrubesch called his new job a very interesting task, saying: "We have spectacular goals like the 2015 European Championship in the Czech Republic or the Olympic Games in Rio in 2016."

Germany have not qualified for an Olympic tournament since the Seoul games in 1988.